Entered CNET Catalog: 12/01/2004
SKU: NWHD3B
Manufacturer: Sony Electronics, Inc.
Manufacturer description
Sony has raised the bar with its latest WALKMAN. The brand new NW-HD3 WALKMAN allows you to listen to both ATRAC3Plus and MP3 files for the very first time. It's now as easy to put MP3 files onto your WALKMAN as it is ATRAC3Plus files. And with enhanced Sonic Stage 2.3 software, included with your HD3, you can transfer your MP3s at a dramatically increased speed without having to convert them into ATRAC3Plus. You can also edit content such as artist's name, genre and track number (even WAV and MP3 files that come without track numbers) and then burn your very own audio CD's. It's never been simpler, faster or more convenient.Product summary
The good: Supercompact and stylish, though not as much as the HD1; awesome battery life; basic operation; improved interface; natively supports MP3 files; clean, bright sound quality.
The bad: No extra features; works with only bundled SonicStage jukebox software.
The bottom line: Sony's 20GB HD3 may not have the HD1's looks and battery life, but its native MP3 support and flashy new colors make it a better choice overall.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 03/16/2005
At first glance, the only physical difference from its predecessor seems to be the addition of four new color schemes. Joining the traditional silver model are black, blue, pink, and a particularly striking red. Add to that some remarkable backlight hues (a white light for silver; blue for the red, black, and blue models; and, yes, pink for the pink version), and you have an aesthetically appealing array of players. Discerning MP3 fans will note quite a few updates from the HD1. In place of the original's gorgeous silver metal casing, the current models are instead encased in supertough plastic--a look and feel that grows on you. Also, the circular five-way directional pad is a hint larger, made of a light and slightly cheap-feeling plastic, and centered with the 1.5-inch LCD. Simple, tactile, and effective, this is the primary play and menu controller.
On the top of the HD3, you'll find a smart headphone jack (wired remote not included), dedicated volume controls, and tiny Menu and Mode buttons. The bottom features a hold switch, a proprietary cradle connector port, and an on/off battery switch, which you can use to protect the battery when the device is not in use for long periods. The only other physical feature on the device is an anchor for a hand strap (not included).
While usable, the small Menu and Mode buttons aren't easy to access or press. As is the case with other Sony digital audio portables, the HD3's buttons and switches are designed for people with tiny fingers. The seldom-used Built-In Battery switch is particularly difficult to operate.
In its default state, the LCD has a gray background with dark, delicate text, though this setting can be reversed to display light text on a black background. Overall, the LCD is easy to read both indoors and out, although the fine typeface might be difficult for those with poor vision. The player interface displays essential information, including track, album, artist, and genre (with accompanying icons for each), as well as the time elapsed, a track-progress bar, the play mode, the number of songs in the playlist, the bit rate, and a battery-level indicator.
Unlike its predecessor, the HD3 does not ship with a docking cradle. This may be a blessing in disguise as the HD1's battery could only be recharged using the cradle--really bad for people who like to travel light. Now you have the same proprietary port on the HD3 but also a tiny adapter that clips on like a parasite and includes both power and USB ports; it's kind of like a miniature dock, and it even has a charge LED. This setup is convenient, but don't lose the adapter.
The HD3 also ships with a standard pair of earbuds that you'll definitely want to replace with better ones, as well as a soft carrying pouch, a power adapter, a USB cable, and the obligatory installation CD. The HD3 and its fabric pouch are completely mismatched, so we recommend adding a carrying case ($15), which offers more protection for this "luxury" gadget.
If you're considering the HD3 and you use Musicmatch, Windows Media Player, or any other jukebox software, you'll have to get to know one more app: Sony's own SonicStage 2.3. A necessary and heavy program, this all-encompassing jukebox imports and transfers audio files as well as directly accesses the Connect music download store.
One of the primary reasons the HD1 has been dogged by reviewers is the fact that it didn't natively play MP3, WMA, or WAV files. Instead, the HD1 "supported" playback of those files, meaning that they needed to go through the SonicStage wringer and be converted into Sony's proprietary ATRAC3 or the more efficient ATRAC3plus format. Not only does this process take extra time, you're creating a new file that will occupy space on your hard drive.
The HD3 (and the HD1 with a firmware update) partially eliminates the format headaches and can be rightfully considered along with other MP3 players. Even the Sony Web site now labels the Network Walkmans as "MP3 players." Sony adapting to MP3 wasn't a mission so much as a necessity. If you want to listen to your WMA files, you'll still have to go old school and convert them in SonicStage, which also transfers over the files. The other obvious feature is that the device works seamlessly with Sony's Connect music service. If you're a fan, you'll definitely want to check out the HD3, as it's the iPod of the Sony Connect universe. And through the middle of 2005, you get 50 free songs from Connect, plus the 5 that you typically get with other Sony players.
Given the lack of extra features, the HD3 is a breeze to use. Pressing the Mode button breaks down your music into categories such as Artist, Album, Genre, Group, or Others. If you select a particular artist, all of the tracks by that artist will be played. Right-click an artist's name, and you'll be taken to their albums, then to an album's tracks. It's a slightly unusual method of selecting tracks, but it's effective. The Group mode is Sony's version of playlists, which can only be compiled using SonicStage. The Others mode includes user-definable bookmarks and the tracks most recently added to the device. While you can assign as many as 100 bookmarks, you can bookmark only the beginning of a track, not a specific point within it. It's Sony's version of an on-the-go-playlist.
The player is set up by pressing Menu, but holding the button turns off the player, which wasn't clear at the outset. The menu includes repeat, various play modes (Shuffle, 1 Track, and Play Unit), sound, AVLS, beep, audio-out, contrast, backlight, reverse display, and format controls. Play Unit simply means that all tracks within a selected artist or album will be played. Sound includes the EQ settings (four presets and two custom) and V-Sur virtual environments such as Studio, Live, Club, or Arena. The HD3 will show up as a separate drive in Explorer without needing drivers, so it can be used as a universal data-storage device.
When navigating the Sony Network Walkman NW-HD3, you'll experience smooth transitions from page to page, but more often than not, we noticed a 2-to-3-second access delay when the HD3 transitioned into various modes--a trait similar to the HD1.The HD3 boasts bright and powerful sound quality in both ATRAC3 and MP3 modes. The various EQ and virtual-surround settings are also top-notch, and users can really crank up the volume.
One of the HD3's bona fide selling points is its rated battery life of 30 hours. CNET Labs was able to get only 24.2 hours on average with the same technique used for the HD1, which lasted 30.6 hours. This is still an impressive figure, pretty much doubling the iPod's battery life, and we believe that ATRAC3 playback will net you more playback time. Over USB 2.0, transfer times were impressive at 8.2MB per second.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44out of 44 user reviews
Superb machine
Pros: Capacity, sound quality, presumed battery life
Cons: Slow transfers
I'm in the process of transferring my favorite works, from (alphabetically) Bach to Weber. My goal is to have many or most of those favorites on tap for long flights across the Pacific and to South America.
SONY's "SonicStage" is complicated; but once mastered it is quite easy to use. I've already put nearly six hours of music on the HD-5. Choosing WAV and ATRAC Device, it took over 10 minutes to put one 72-minute work into "My Library" and another 20 minutes to transfer it into the HD-5. There are faster protocols; I wasn't willing to risk the lower playback quality they might have produced.
The six hours already put on the HD-5 have left me with over 18GB of the machine's 20GB capacity. That should mean another at least 50 more hours if I continue to transfer into WAV files.
Equally important as capacity, to me, is quality of sound. The HD-5 with Sennheiser PX-200 headphones is as close to concert hall quality as any system I've ever owned. (I haven't opened the SONY earbuds packet.)
My desktop has only a USB 1.1 port. My notebook has a USB 2. The difference is amazing. What takes many minutes to transfer from SonicStage with the desktop to the Walkman takes just a few seconds with the notebook. And the program -- WAV or other -- makes no difference.
out of 44 user reviews
SONY VS. APPLE IPOD---TOUGH CHOICE!
Pros: excellent batterly life, small and light, large capacity space, superb sound quality
Cons: terrible software, no playlist options, lacks touch scroll wheel, lack of organization of music files
out of 44 user reviews
Great alternative!
Pros: Very small, 20-30hr batt. life, G-shock protection, many features
Cons: At first , scrolling through the music was difficult. Newer sonicstage software is sorta glitchy but improving w/ updates.
out of 44 user reviews
Better than IPod by far
Pros: light, compact, easier to use, doesnt freeze up
Cons: smaller viewing screen
out of 44 user reviews
Player Good, Software awful
Pros: Great form factor for player, nice screen & sound
Cons: Soundstage software is awful
out of 44 user reviews
this is a very good player i got it for work
Pros: a good size sound is great
Cons: i would have liked it better if a remote stick could have been used
out of 44 user reviews
every thing is crazy on this product
Pros: to many to count
Cons: not a color screen
out of 44 user reviews
Superb sound quality
Pros: Great sound quality, nice size and appearance.
Cons: No native WMA support, no playlist support
And it pulls this off while still looking good and not breaking your bank account.
Okay, on the downside, the only online music store it supports is Sony's "Connect" store.
Definitely the player to buy if your first criterion for buying an MP3 player is good sound quality.
out of 44 user reviews
iPod for adults
Pros: Superb sound and design
Cons: Slightly complicated PC software
- 1/4 smaller than iPod
- much better sound (richer bass)
- longer battery life (no much annoying battery leaks!)
If you claim to be a lover of music, you must find the iPod very disappointing. This network walkman gives you a 6-band equalizer, and the sound is just much much richer. If you rip your CDs into the ATRAC3 format, the difference is even more pronounced.
The user interface is slightly less user-friendly, though. It doesn't have the iPod scroll wheel (which I assume is patented by Apple), and the PC software is less intuitive than iTunes. However, it is still easy to use: I installed it, and pressed one button that reads (Scan Computer for Music Files) and it finds all my MP3 files in my computers and put them in the library. I plug in my Network Walkman into the USB, and I have my songs! Very easy to use.
There might still be some people who claim that the PC software is too difficult to use. These are probably people who can't figure how to turn on their PCs. If you think you can handle some gagdets, you can use the software no problem.
Let me draw an analogy. iPod is like the AOL. Gives you the ease-of-use, but when you grow up and get more sophisticated and really care about the music, give your iPod to your baby sister.
out of 44 user reviews
NW-HD1 and NW-HD3
Pros: Sleek and sexy design, light, long battery life, different from an iPod
Cons: Sonic Stage
I bought the Sony NW-HD1 new on eBay for less than $175, and it has worked very well for me. It came without the software upgrade to play MP3s, but I sent it off to Sony with $20, and it came back playing MP3's just like the NW-HD3!
The only bad part of the Sony is the Sony designed software, Sonic Stage. This is an awful software that has been upgraded time and again (now at a 3.1 version), but is still unorganized and basically useless. There is no problem when you import CDs, but if you have downloaded MP3s, it turns into a mess. Sony tries to add a free 10,000 song subscription to the Moodlogic software (a great concept, but not realized to its full potential) to rename/reorganize/categorize artists and songs, but it is a far cry from solving the Sonic Stage problem.
With all of the software problems, in the end, I chose to stick with the Sony because it is a beautifully designed MP3 player that has the highest battery life of all of my gadgets. The actual interface of the player is easy to understand and use, just like other Sony products. The sound quality is one of the best, as good as an iPod's if not better. And this device also functions as a portable hard drive.
By the way, if you like the nice metallic feel of a well crafted product, the NW-HD1 is the one. No cheap plastic here! And if you like leather cases, Vaja makes a well fitted cover. I've debated over getting an iPod or a Sony for a while and decided that the iPod is more of an over-rated, and over priced status symbol rather than just an MP3 player. I have a cell phone and digicam for pictures, a laptop and radio for live stream music and a nice watch for time, so I don't need an oversized MP3 player to do it all for me.
I bought the Sony NW-HD1 new on eBay for less than $175, and it has worked very well for me. It came without the software upgrade to play MP3s, but I sent it off to Sony with $20, and it came back playing MP3's just like the NW-HD3!
The only bad part of the Sony is the Sony designed software, Sonic Stage. This is an awful software that has been upgraded time and again (now at a 3.1 version), but is still unorganized and basically useless. There is no problem when you import CDs, but if you have downloaded MP3s, it turns into a mess. Sony tries to add a free 10,000 song subscription to the Moodlogic software (a great concept, but not realized to its full potential) to rename/reorganize/categorize artists and songs, but it is a far cry from solving the Sonic Stage problem.
With all of the software problems, in the end, I chose to stick with the Sony because it is a beautifully designed MP3 player that has the highest battery life of all of my gadgets. The actual interface of the player is easy to understand and use, just like other Sony products. The sound quality is one of the best, as good as an iPod's if not better. And this device also functions as a portable hard drive.
By the way, if you like the nice metallic feel of a well crafted product, the NW-HD1 is the one. No cheap plastic here! And if you like leather cases, Vaja makes a well fitted cover.
out of 44 user reviews
Suspicious of these ratings
Pros: Oh yeah it plays musice
Cons: Just about everything
out of 44 user reviews
Good but with limitations
Pros: Size, 20 GB HD, battery life
Cons: Fragile, switcch positions, soft cover, no firmware updates
The device is very small and compact and plays faultlessly. It has 20 GB storage so I have plenty of room for my files. I like the rechargeable battery and have found over the last couple of month use that you can get 10-15 hours of solid play time from it before resorting to recharging it. The display is good and clear.
Now for the complaints...
First of all you have to be careful with it. I accidentally dropped it 15 cm on to a carpeted floor and it stopped working. I have since replaced it and now take much more care.
The controls are not ideally placed. The On-Off switch is on the bottom and is well recessed and hence hard to move. This I suppose could be a bonus in that you cannot casually switch it on and off. But once the player is in its nice soft fabric case and you are seeking to turn it on you have to remove the cover and mess around sliding the switch on at the bottom of the unit. Really to access any of the buttons you need to remove the cover completely. So even adjusting the volume means messing about with it. In the end you ignore the cover and use the player without it. A better design would have allowed the most useful controls visible and adjustable with the cover on.
Another complaint is that the supplied headphones work well but are uncomfortable in prolonged use. The ear piece is just that bit too large.
The main control on the front for selection of tracks and movement to other functions is adequate and only occasionally do you get confused and end up in a wrong directory.
Another major criticism is the lack of any possible firmware updates. What you've got is the best it will be, not like other manufacturers that react to consumer comments and revise their firmware periodically.
Overall the player is good, stylish and usable if limited.
out of 44 user reviews
Unit does not support Windows Media .wma files!!!
Pros: Compact design, 20GB, Sony product
Cons: Software, .atrac3 files, Sony product trying to corner the market
Here’s what happened to me...
Once the program was loaded, the player searched my PC and found all my music. “Wow this is great” I thought. It was quick to play my music files from the PC. Now let’s just hit the transfer button to send the first listed album to the player for a test. What? It comes back to me with a “copyright” error message. How totally, incredibly lame! It isn’t a copyright issue, it is “this product will not play .wma files.” You #$%#$%#. It wasn’t until I read these reviews that I learned that this SONY players doesn’t support .wma files. So it totally wasted my time as I tried to manipulate the program with no success to load my Music Files.
I have recently considered buying a VAIO PC, but will I have the same problems there? It does make me wonder.
I am attempting to find a conversion program from mp3-soft.com. If this works, it could put the Sony back on top and I could be eating crow.
out of 44 user reviews
Listen to someone who has both an iPod and a Sony.
Pros: Great memory to size ratio, great battery life.
Cons: Very few accessories, primitive & awkward software.
Sony doesn't manufacture very many accessories with this, so I have nowhere to carry it except my hand (the earphones I use are too short to put it into my pocket). If you prefer your own earphones, make sure they are long enough. Sony’s included earphones are long enough but they are just average earphones. Although the HD3 comes equipped to place a handstrap, there is no handstrap available anywhere online to purchase as an accessory. And it’s not easy to find something that skinny to go into the holes and still be sturdy (I ended up using a strap from my Sony digital camera). Not even a belt clip is available as an accessory. Also, I listen to music in the car the most but Sony doesn't even have a car cigarette charger available to purchase as an accessory (I prefer my earphones over an FM transmitter).
The power and data transfer cables are 2 separate cables and it gets messy sometimes. The unit must be connected to the AC adaptor in order to transfer music. And even this connection is not the most secure – it gets loose sometimes. I was expecting the USB cable to charge the unit (in addition to transfer data) but that is not the case. This means you’ll be carrying more cables than you want if you want to sync at a different computer. And it’s not just the cables you’ll be carrying – the cables must first go into a separate small adaptor that accepts the USB and AC cables and this adaptor then plugs into the main unit. In contrast, the iPod Mini’s power and data transfer are all in 1 simple cable, with no extra parts to worry about. I also found the data transfer to be significantly quicker with the iPod (which more than likely has to do with the software, explained later).
When I bought this direct from Sony, they gave 60 free song downloads. I thought this was cool but now I understand why. The Sonicstage software is very primitive and awkward to use. And compared with the iTunes software, it is very slow (maybe 3 times slower). I felt as if I was using the very first version of a program that needed severe updating (and I was using the most updated version 3.0 at this time). And there is not a great music selection like iTunes. I was expecting alot more song availability. And even the songs that are present, have to be typed in with the exact spelling or it will be very difficult to find, if found at all. Sonicstage doesn't even offer spelling recommendations for mis-spelled words in the search. In contrast, the iPod iTunes software is very smooth, quick, and has a terrific song selection. It also offers spelling recommendations if you don’t know the exact spelling.
The good thing about buying direct from Sony is they offer a 30 day return policy. I purchased the iPod Mini during this time and made comparisons (which is how I am able to make this review). I was convinced within the first 5 minutes to return the Sony. The first thing that was evident was the music quality. Don’t get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with the HD3 music quality. There is just an added “crispness” and “feel” for the music with the iPod. I felt the bass better with the iPod but at the same time this did not affect the rest of the music’s “clarity”. It’s hard to put in words. Many people probably won’t notice a difference but I am very picky (I have $160 earphones). And this I experienced using Sony’s earphones, not my own.
Another mind-blowing concept is the iPod Click Wheel (as opposed to Sony’s linear buttons and arrows). I had never used this before. With this wheel, I can control the volume, skip to different features, go to various playlists, and can skip to the exact song I want within seconds despite there being hundreds of songs dispersed through several playlists. And get this, I can do all that with the tip of my thumbnail, within seconds, driving my car! With the Sony, you would need to tediously scroll through your playlists or songs to find the exact song you want. This could be time consuming and inconvenient when driving or working out. And as for features, what other features? The Sony doesn’t even have a clock! The iPod Mini has clock, contacts, calendar, notes, and games.
This did not play into my decision but I have also been told that the iPod is more “cool” (ie/ more sex appeal). I read somewhere that Will Smith has every single model that has come out and that Vice President Cheney also has one.
As for the iPod Mini’s memory disadvantage over the Sony: 6 GB is plenty of music for most users. I personally plan to purchase the next iPod Mini (which should hopefully have greater than 6 GB capacity) and that is the reason why I did not get the free personal laser engraving that comes if you purchase direct from Apple. I figure it’d be tougher to re-sell it if you have a personal laser engraving on it. My advice to you is to do what I did, purchase both from vendors that allow returns (do not laser engrave the iPod), keep the one you want, and return the one you don’t.
If any manufacturers are reading this, please consider these features which are already available in pocket pc’s: 1) To maximize battery life, have the ability of a button to COMPLETELY disable the display (screen goes blank) while listening to music. The user should still be able to skip tracks with the display off. After all, who watches the display as they are listening to music? This could save significant battery life. 2) For when the display is on, why not have an equalizer showing the music as the notes hit their frequency (like the big home stereo’s do)?
out of 44 user reviews
best MP3 out there!!!! BEATS APPLE
Pros: best form factor, great sound, best battery life
Cons: lack of accessories, sony software SUCKS, price
Where it falls short is Sony Software is weak (feels like it is a few years old, but I did use the free 50 songs to download three new albums I wanted meaning I did get a rebate of $40 and bought the device for $345 so price was really $300. BUT that was still a bit high. I think $275 would have been perfect.
out of 44 user reviews
Go Out and Purchase This MP3 Player
Pros: Personally, I didn't find any problems with using my MP3 Player. I find the Sony SonicStage software is easy to use and extremely easy when transferring music.
Cons: Sony could have provided a better carrying case with the package.
Did I find problems with using my new MP3 player? The answer would be "no." Overall, everything worked out well. I use Sony's CONNECT program to transfer songs and make cd's and everything seems to run smoothly as transferring music to the device takes about 2 seconds to do. Once you own the NW-HD3, you'll notice how it's smaller than the 20GB iPod. Also,regarding aesthetics, the interface is a classier and more sophisticated looking than most MP3 players out there. I am glad Sony opted to produce the player in Pastel colors like the iPod mini.
The only downside I found with the device is the case that was included, which is really a sorry excuse for a case.
In addition, any user might want to consider purchasing Sony's new earbuds...I must say they are the best headphones I've ever had.
Once again, if you would rather not be like everyone and their freakin' mothers, then go and purchase this new player!
out of 44 user reviews
AMAZING!!!
Pros: Music Capacity, Size, Everything else...
Cons: It is difficult to turn on cause the switfh has no little tab or anything.
out of 44 user reviews
Amazing Hardware , wish it wasn't Sony
Pros: The player itself is amazing
Cons: You won't be able to transfer your music to it
The software is terrible. And this comes from a very experienced user that has tried everything to get it to work.
This player makes me angry because the hardware is amazing but the software and the ATRAC are killing it.
This was the last chance I gave Sony products. From now on I will be ignoring their products until they learn to respect their clients.
Now I have no idea which player to get.
You can't queue songs or artists or anything.
Meaning that you can't just select 3 Artists and set them at random. Every advantage of having an MP3 player is nulled.
The best way to describe it is a Minidisc Walkman with a 20GB mini disc.
Very , very dissapointed.
out of 44 user reviews
Good but late move to MP3
Pros: MP3 support and small design
Cons: bad display
out of 44 user reviews
Needs to play WMAs too (duh!)
Pros: It's a Sony
Cons: no native WMA support
Basically, everyone is either an iPod person, or you're not, right? The people who are not either a) choose to be because they don't want to follow the crowd or 2) can't use an iPod because (like me) ALL THEIR FILES ARE IN WMA FORMAT.
If Sony wants to grab some serious marketshare (which it should be able to do with the Walkman name recognition), it needs to get those WMA people in their camp. I own several Sony products and was really looking forward to getting an HD3. Oh well.
out of 44 user reviews
Listen to someone who has both IPod and the HD3
Pros: LONG battery life, sound quality is the best, Sony quality throughout
Cons: sonicstage can be slow sometimes converting to atrac3
Now before i purchased the HD3 i was actually going to get the Creative Zen touch 20gig, just because of its battery life. but i have never owned a portable music player by Creative(even though i have audio pc cards by them for my comp). Sony hands down makes some of the best quality products, i mean when you goto a friends house and see his sony XBR34" hi def tv(like me), do you even question if its anygood?
Let me put it this way
if you had a choice between 2 free cars, one is a honda civic(something EVERYONE has,but its ok)
and one is a BMW M5, what would you pick?
out of 44 user reviews
Solid, Beautiful and Unique
Pros: its tiny, its beautiful, and has a huge battery life, most importantly... not everbody has one! (ahem, ipod)
Cons: 50 bucks more than an iPod, no bonus features
Sony focused on making a quality MP3 player and in my opinion they did just that. Design is simple, and extremely easy to use. I love the choice of different colors with backlights that match the Silver and Pink players (I got the silver and it looks hot).
Software (Connect) is kind of bulky, but if you have a normal computer there should be no problems. The only music-playing software I use is Winamp, so having to use Sony Connect was no big deal!
Two features that I thought were really important are the amazing battery life, and Sony's G-sensor shock protection which protects the hard drive from physical damage if it falls.
Overall I'm really happy with the player, and I can deal without games or calendar (thats what my watch and cellphone are for)
Correction: by saying Sony Connect, I meant SonicStage software
Correction: by saying Sony Connect, I meant SonicStage software
out of 44 user reviews
Another biased CNET review
Pros: Supersmall and sexy, great sound quality
Cons: $50 more expensive than iPoo
I'd like to say that to play WMA and other files on the ipod, you would ALSO have to convert them to AAC or MP3 files... but umm i dont see that listed in the ipods cons...
typical... pffft
out of 44 user reviews
Dont listen to negative reviews
Pros: small,stylish,easy to use
Cons: a little overpriced
I sold my ipod for this because of the size and the fact that the ipod scrathes so easily. Also the scroll pad on the ipod is hard to me to use when I am out jogging. Also I could not get the ipod to properly rename files and I would have artists names on the ipod a couple times if they were spelled differently. This sony make it easy to rename them and organize them.
The sound quality on the sony seems better than the ipod to me. The player is very small and thin so the display is also kind of small but it is easy to read. The only real complaint I have is it is priced higher than some 20 gig players but that is because it just came out. The price will drop in a month or so. You cant go wrong with this player unless you want fm radio(who does anyway, nothing but commercials and crappy music!), or voice recording
out of 44 user reviews
THE BEST HARD DRIVE MP3 PLAYER
Pros: Excellent sound
Cons: Software could be better
out of 44 user reviews
Best attempt by sony so far
Pros: small and light, finally plays mp3's
Cons: for $350 why not get an ipod
out of 44 user reviews
Ca Va Pas...non - Translation: A good choice...NOT!
Pros: Good sound, full display, mp3 support, small form factor, works with old remotes from other devices.
Cons: Flimsy feeling connecter adapter, More gripes in the review.
1: No Pause button. I listen to audiobooks from the public library (much cheaper than Audible with much better sound), and I usually rip and combine the tracks into one file per cd. A 70 minute track that I stop somewhere in the middle and then add media to the player must be fast forwarded to the stopping point, as bookmarks don't mark points within a track. I have a remote from a Sony cd player that allows me to pause it and I get much faster seeks with it, but most people won't be so lucky. You must seek while playing (if stopped, it will skip tracks rapidly) and, though this is a plus per se, the player doesn't error and skip ahead by leaps and bounds after seeking for a longer than normal (4 minute song) amout of time. It would have been nice to see something like Iriver's products where one can change the seek time to suit file lengths.
2: No real playlist support. To be sure, I created a playlist with the same song playing 12 times that was already on the player. All SonicStage did was copy the song in a group 12 times onto the player. This meant that the song was copied a total of 13 times and thus effectively reducing the total available storage space. I called Sony only to find out that this is normal. This isn't a good player for one who uses the same songs in many different playlists.
3: Connect is lacking. Not only does the Connect music store, (the only one that can be used with this player), not have as much as the others, but there is a promotion at the time of this review's writing for 50 free songs with registration of the device. I looked for some songs that I would have liked to download and found them to be "album only" and I couldn't use the promotion for them. This wouldn't have even put a dent in my elation for Sony's finally "getting with the program" had it not been for the first two problems.
The Bottom Line:
For an overly expensive $350 player, I would expect better engineering. Size does matter, but it isn't the only thing that matters. If someone decorates a burnt to a crisp cake to look like a work of art, it is still just as useless as no cake at all. I'm not expecting perfect, (all the features such as FM tuning, voice recording, picture viewing, or a touch strip or wheel), just logical.
out of 44 user reviews
An Expensive Mistake.
Pros: Sound quality and clarity is great.
Cons: NOT Multi-Media Compatiable!
There needs to a labeling system that lets people know the “Multimedia Compatible” of a product, for which Sony Walkman HD3 is sadly lacking.
out of 44 user reviews
oh yeah oh yeah
Pros: its look great. at least this model play mp3 not like those junks that need to convert to atrac...lousy
Cons: design not so beauty as ipod no clicks wheel.more look like a camera
out of 44 user reviews
Just picked one up a few days ago
Pros: Excellent sound quality, long battery life, small size, good UI, good build quality (feels solid).
Cons: Sonic Stage is not nearly as good as ITunes, but it is still usable. No Mac support. No remote. Included case is practically useless. No dock- the included connector feels cheap and worries me sometimes. Limited accessories available (hopefully this will
out of 44 user reviews
Dont go for it
Pros: what i can said.is the brand name only.nothing more
Cons: for me i will said no more to Sony, For more then 300+ i'll will think of adding a little more to get ipod ...no color display, cant view photos..u r finish Sony.
out of 44 user reviews
Thankyou Sony!
Pros: Superb build quality, easy to use interface, ATRAC is a good space saver while retaining quality. Excellent sound quality, even at high volumes and using shures! Pound for pound, this is better than the iPod.
Cons: The first couple of times you use it there is a little background noise. You can change the sound settings from the walkman itself on the fly, and it takes all of five seconds. Oh, and the mirror can get finger marks on it, but the case cleans it somehow!
out of 44 user reviews
SONY IS THE BEST
Pros: Great design plus the long battery life. It is very light and the EQ is good. The best part is the MP3 playback.
Cons: Should come with the neck strap and the remote. Also those people who bought the overseas model, watch out for the current (100V in Japan). Don't burn out your adapter. (It's $60)
out of 44 user reviews
Mmm..
Pros: - Great sound quality - Sleek and small Design (Making it very attractive) - Plenty of memory!
Cons: - Takes time to get use to Sonicstage. - Carrying Case = Crap - Pricey - No radio - No recorder
out of 44 user reviews
meet my little friend
Pros: smaller than the Ipod in fact the smallest 20g hardrive to date. takes more songs than the 40g Ipod, actually 3.000 more and a slick design made to atract peoples attention make him the best in it's class. now with mp3 support just makes a perfect hardriv
Cons: nothing found yet
out of 44 user reviews
No more cons!!!
Pros: we wanted more hold we have it. more versatility,check more playback,check slick design and a pretty look whant more?
Cons:
out of 44 user reviews
Sony, thank god you got your act together
Pros: Slim, compact, tough. Huge battery life, good sound quality, DOESNT ONLY TAKE ATRAC3! light weight, shock resistent. I can't think of anything else any other harddrive players have that are demanded in a mp3 player besides the irivers photo viewing and fi
Cons: sonicstage is meager. could use a remote. wish it would have drag and drop and act as an external storage device. fm tuner would be nice. UGLY CARRYING CASE. needs better earphones (as all mp3 players do with the exception of ipod) awkward usb charging. d
out of 44 user reviews
"Real" portable audio
Pros: This is a machine for people who need a "real" portable audio device, instead of something that simply looks good. The NW-HD3 is very small(slightly larger than a credit card), has a huge battery life, exceptional sound quality, solidly built and looks t
Cons: The cons are fairly minor. The device on its own is more or less perfect. However, the software (Sonicstage) is poor. It takes up lots of computer resources and makes life more complicated than it need be. That said, its still very easy to use. I would ju
out of 44 user reviews
What ever anyone else says i recon its great..
Pros: Very cool + better than an ipod, nice backlight, strong, excelent sound quality, well worth the money
Cons: A few people seem to have trouble with them mine works great though.
out of 44 user reviews
THE END OF IPOD ??
Pros: i am going (back) to Japan in February and I am buying this. No more shoddy ipod. SOny quality and nothing else for me. The previous model was an engineering marvel, but no mp3. Now everything fits together. If people buy rationally (doubts...) this shoul
Cons:
out of 44 user reviews
Better than my iPod - but only just
Pros: It's Sony's first 'proper' hard disk MP3 player and I think it beats my expectations. It's stylish, sounds great, about two thirds the size of my iPod and it has a massive battery life. Also, it has an aluminium shell that makes it very tactile - it feels
Cons: I got the Japanese version and nearly had a heart attack when I couldn't load the SonicStage software onto my PC because it wasn't Japanese language - a download of the latest version from Sony's Connect website solved my problem. The Sonicstage softwa
out of 44 user reviews
Sony could screw up a two man parade.
Pros: Small, good build quality, and good battery life.
Cons: Dim, cluttered display. Un-intuitive UI, very poor EQ options for MP3 playback, extrememly long transfer times (MP3s), region-specific firmwares and software (SonicStage 2.3 in Japan is NOT the same as 2.3 in the rest of the world - the HD3 I bought in To
out of 44 user reviews
i am so happy that sony finally decited to support mp3's
Pros: Finaly, native mp3 support i have the nw-hd1 and they are almost the same so: small long battery life and it looks cool charges via usb
Cons: it might not come out in america soon the nw-hd1 is 350 so it is still a bit higher then other 20gb players
out of 44 user reviews
Finally MP3 support on Walkman!!!
Pros: I'm not a major MP3 fun in terms of sound quality and very pleased with the ATRAC3plus quality, but having an option on the codec is nice. And of course the device looks cool with the new bigger control switch.
Cons: Uh,,, It's a bit thicker than HD1. (about 1mm?)
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